Defying Instinct
by SonicH2O
Summary: Her love for Tom wasn’t enough, neither was whatever she felt for Sawyer, but for Jack, Kate would defy instinct no matter the consequences. Jate oneshot


_Just a little " what if " fic for _LTDA_. Jate of course. Bascially a variation on the sequence where Jack tries to save Kate._

_Just like on my fic Either, if it gets boring ya can skip down to the last line for the good part._

* * *

"**RUN**!" Jack's frantic scream brought her back from her state of near shock at seeing Sawyer go down like that. But she wasn't going to argue with Jack; her or Sawyer was an easy choice.

Before she could even run though Jack's arm was around her almost dragging her away towards camp. She knew they wouldn't make it. She knew they were going to die; she had always hated the cliche of how your life flashed before your eyes when you died, so that in your last minutes you could relive all the guilt and pain and regrets from your life, so that those thoughts of misery would be your last; but it was still true. Regrets; -and there were many -flashed through her mind. Letting Tom stay in the car, running, and ...Jack. She had never told him, never opened up, and now it was to late. She knew there were many more regrets that should be occupying her thoughts, sins, instead of wishful thinking, but being there in his presence made it the one regret that didn't just flash, it lingered taunting her with her mistake, her lack of trust in the one person here who had actually cared.

He barely registered the thud of Sawyer's body as it hit the ground. There was nothing he could do for the man now, but glancing around he knew there was someone he could still save; someone he needed to keep safe. Thousands of thoughts seemed to swim around his head for 5 seconds while he let fear engulf him, before he could form a coherent sentence. " RUN!" he yelled heading towards Kate. _Poetic_ he thought to himself, _but at least it gets the point across._

_Kate_. The one thing on his mind was getting her to safety. He had to, he had gotten her into this mess, no matter what he would get her out. He dragged her along, careful not to look at Sawyer's convulsing body, hope for survival draining with each step. But Jack wasn't one to quit. He blocked out the urge to panic, tightened his hold around Kate's waist increasing their pace. He allowed himself to smile briefly; this was one of the only times he had ever held her, and ironically it would be the last. He savored the contact as they continued running.

* * *

Bursting into a clearing they ducked as darts flew by them. He heard Kate count to five under her breath, before tugging on his arm for them to continue. They ran flat out, attempting not to slow down as their retreat lead them up hill. Jack pushed Kate in front of her as they neared the cover of the trees, trading spots with her.

Suddenly his vision flashed as he felt a wave of pain and dizziness come over him, he glanced down to see a dart sticking out of his calf. He swallowed hard, the realization of his failure hitting him like a punch in the gut as he toppled back down the hill.

Kate heard a thud and turned around her face going pale instantly. Jack. was toppling down the side of the grassy hill. A dart. He was gone. She was on her own. She felt tears well up in her eyes and she took a step to keep going, but hesitated. She couldn't leave him, not like that. She pulled out her gun and fired six bullets in the direction the darts were coming from, running to his side.

" Jack..." she panted as she got there. His body was convulsing but he was still conscious desperately trying to regain control of his arm to get the dart out.

" Kate," He breathed heavily , " Run..." he finished weakly, he was losing consciousness.

Kate frowned heavily, her instincts were screaming at her to run and so was he, but her feet refused to budge from their spot next to him. She couldn't leave him.

" **RUN**!" he repeated more forcefully before his head dropped into unconsciousness

She stood and started back up the hill, away from Jack, running, again. The darts started to fire again, and she ducked down low. Jacks face flashed before her eyes, and so did the image of Tom's lifeless body, the one she had left in a car she had crashed to save her own life. Her love or him hadn't been strong enough to make her defy her nature, neither had her feelings for Sawyer, but Jack...she couldn't leave him, no matter what that meant the end was. She turned back to him, determined to get them both out of the Others territory. She was almost at his side, when she felt a sharp sting in her back, her legs instantly giving out from under her.

Her love for Tom wasn't enough, neither was whatever she felt for Sawyer, but for Jack, Kate would defy instinct; no matter the consequences.

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So yeah...hope it wasn't to bad.

R&R everybody!


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